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Redmond, Marlins to get early sense of replay

Pete McCarthy and Jim Duquette discuss the changes to instant replay that will be implemented in the upcoming 2014 season

By Joe Frisaro
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MLB.com |

JUPITER, Fla. -- Grapefruit League games will take on added significance this year, as organizations will use them as trial runs for expanded instant replay.

Select games this spring will be equipped for replay, but even in games for which the equipment isn't available, the Marlins will monitor plays that potentially could be reviewed.

Miami's video coaching coordinator, Cullen McRae, will have access to the telecasts, and the video room will play a major role in the process.

Replay details haven't been finalized, but each team will have no more than two challenges. Each team opens the game with one. If a review is requested and a call is reversed, the team gets a second challenge. If the initial challenge is lost, then the team will have no more challenges for the game.

From the seventh inning on, however, the umpires can decide if a play should be reviewed.

There will be a room at Marlins Park not far from the playing field where the umpires will go to get the ruling.

"We will have a couple of [spring] games where the system is here where we can use it," manager Mike Redmond said. "All of our televised games we will go through like we would in a regular game, and if there is a close play, we'll talk to Cullen, and he will relay whether we review it or not. We'll try to simulate to the best of our ability to prepare for it."

Strategy promises to come into play in regard to when a team should issue a challenge. Will teams use their challenges early, or hold off in anticipation of a potentially more telling play later in the game?

Getting the calls right, naturally, is the main objective, but Redmond is worried about the pace of the game.

"Pace of play is still a huge issue," he said. "They'll have the video within 10 seconds of the play. There's going to be a person in the camera well that is going to have a headset, and as soon as they get on the headset, they'll tell them if he's safe and out."